Filipino cassava cake

I grew up eating cassava, mostly mixed with plantains to make “foutou,” a traditional dish from Ivory Coast, but also as a crunchy fried snack served with dried chopped coconut. So needless to say, I was burning with curiosity when I set out to make this cassava cake from the Philippines. I was not entirely faithful to the recipe and used shredded cassava instead of grated, which gave the cake a slightly chunkier texture. This cake is traditionally served cold but I did enjoy it warm as well, as the blend of coconut milk, condensed milk and cassava was smoothest then.

Directions

Stir the cassava, eggs, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and coconut milk together in a bowl until thoroughly combined;

3.

Add the vanilla; pour into a buttered 9"x13" baking dish.

4.

Bake for 45mn, then remove and brush melted butter on top for another 15-30 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

5.

Most recipes recommend serving this cake cool, but I found it delicious hot, so it's up to you.

Note

Some recipes mentioned melted butter, grated coconut, even cheddar cheese. I chose to make a simple version with as few ingredients as possible that would give a cake-like consistency rather than a custard-like one.

Other recipes have steps for various toppings, from tapioca custards to coconut strips. I wanted to keep my cake simple, so I did not add any.